Today, NOAA Fisheries is announcing that we have set a preliminary human at-sea monitoring coverage target of 100 percent of all sector groundfish trips for the 2024 fishing year (May 1, 2024, through April 30, 2025). The preliminary coverage target is being announced now to facilitate preparations by industry members and monitoring companies ahead of the start of the 2024 fishing year.
This preliminary ASM coverage target is based on an evaluation of all appropriations information currently available to us. We continue to use previously-appropriated funds to reimburse sector monitoring costs while we await final Congressional appropriations for fiscal year 2024. After Congress completes its 2024 appropriations process, we will develop a proposed spending plan that must be approved by Congress before we can commit to a final allocation of those appropriated funds. We will announce the final ASM coverage target for fishing year 2024 once Congressional appropriations are made and the spending plan is approved.
The 100-percent at-sea monitoring coverage target, in conjunction with electronic monitoring, will continue to help address bias and reliably estimate overall catch by sector vessels. We will announce the fishing year 2024 video review rates for electronic monitoring video footage separately.
We will continue to reimburse 100 percent of sector at-sea monitoring costs, including electronic monitoring. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will continue to administer the reimbursement program for fishing year 2023.
